Balance payment chasing

[alnmike]

What are peoples thought's on how much chasing to do of the holiday balance, 8 weeks prior to start date?

I know email is not always reliable, so have sent a 'snail mail' reminder too. Should I phone?

Thanks

[Opel Fruit<P><BR>Opel Fruit, Dept. 53<P>]

Just send an email reminding them to pay or payment is overdue, and asking if they wish to continue with the booking - never fails.

And people do read emails - they just say they don't.

[Missy]

[quote]What are peoples thought's on how much chasing to do of the holiday balance, 8 weeks prior to start date? I know email is not always reliable, so have sent a 'snail mail' reminder too. Should I phone...[/quote]

I used to send my customers an invoice 6 weeks prior arrival and if still no money by 4 weeks prior, another invoice with this mention in a frame written in red UPPERCASE letters accross the page:

>>If payment is not made within 48hours, you will forfeit your booking and the deposit will not be refunded<<

It helped in 99% of the cases and never had a complaint that I was being pushy! I never used the telephone. Cheaper by snail mail or Email.

As it was too much of a bane, I decided that an agency could look after all that side and, though they take their cut, it is worth it for cutting out the stress on this chasing the money!

People booking hols have this conception that because we are independant little traders of 'perfect/non stress holidays' we are 'cool' and not pressured about things... So they start in their mind to relax about the hols! and of course forget to pay their deposit and balance on time.

Which for us, the provider of these 'cool hols', it is absolutely VITAL we get these payments ON TIME! and there is nothing 'cool/non-stress' about us whilst we are waiting for this darn cheque!

The minute an invoice from a holiday/booking agency hits their door mat the cheque is rushed to the letter box with the ink barely dried up!

They want their 'cool' hols : PAY UP ON TIME!! I say...

[vrooje<BR>Cheers,<br>-Brooke<BR><br><B><A TARGET=blank HREF="http:www.experienceburgundy.com">http:www.experienceburgundy.com<A><B>]

Well, we don't send the welcome packet until we receive the final payment. The welcome packet contains directions to the house and instructions for key retrieval. So until they pay us, they can't get into the house.

This tends to motivate people to pay. In fact, nearly everyone so far this season has paid early! But typically I just send out an e-mail and very gently remind them that they can't get into the house unless they payment is received in a timely manner, and I've never had problems.

[Musicmonkey<ADDRESS><STRONG>Musicmonkey<STRONG><ADDRESS>]

Ditto Vrooje's comments